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Just made a major upgrade from 20g to 135g, help pls!

10K views 63 replies 9 participants last post by  herefishy 
#1 ·
Hi fellow members. I'm a new member and have just upgraded from a 20g starter kit bought 1.5 yr ago to a 135g. This tank was bought used and it only come with a Aqua Clear 110 filter and 2 heaters. There are a few things that are missing here and i would also like to add another filter (have one 6 inch oscar now but would be getting a few more fishes in the near future). Also the tank cover is missing, would anyone be able to direct me to a site to get them please.
thanks
 
#2 ·
You will find that larger tanks are more forgiving, take less maintenance and cost more money, initially.

You will need to decide on theme and what fish you wish to keep. This allows you to make any other decisions concerning lighting, filtration, substrate, ect. Some fish are totally incompatible with each other. So, do your homework.

Keeping an Oscar is going to severely limit your choice of fish and force you to make some costly decisions as to filtration. These fish are waste machines and good filtration is paramount. They are also "diggers", so don't be surprised if half of the gravel in your tank is piled up against the front glass some morning when you wake up.

Should you decide to part with the Oscar, you will open a whole world of options. Planted tank, Rift Lake biotope, Blackwater.... the list is almost endless.
 
#8 ·
Holy smokes!!! A planted tank with loads of driftwood, tetras, danios, dwarf, cihlids, angels, discus, (man, I'm running out of fish).....I don't care to much for barbs in a planted tank, they tend to rip leaves.

Should you want to go African Rift Lake cichlid, OMG!!!!!! Even an African riverine tank would be impressive.

But, a tank that size, the most impressive would be the planted tank. Even a blackwater tank, with a lot of wood and plants, would benefit from the sheer size.

And depending upon your choice of fish, one could keep shrimp, snails, and other inverts.

Like I said the world is at your feet. That tank has the potential, just in size alone, to be VERY impressive. The wood work, the plant layout, the stocking.... Even should you decide on African cichlids with their rocky biotope..... That tank has a ton of potential.
 
#9 ·
Hello there live2bet :) As herefishy has already said, if you did decide to part with the oscar it would really open up your options with a tank that size.

If it were me personally, I would go for a community planted tank. For substrate, I would use eco complete (you'll find this will be of great benefit if you go with plants), and a couple of large schools of tetras. A mixture of bottom dwellers such as corys and loaches, and perhaps a couple of german blue rams which have beautiful colouration and great personality. Maybe a couple of ancistrus to add a bit of something different. I would also have a mixture of rocks and wood in the tank.

There is such potential for your tank, and it's really a matter of weighing up your preferences. Keep the oscar and be very limited in what you can keep, or rehome him and go for something completely different.

I'll be very interested to hear what you decide to do!
 
#10 ·
One thing I didn't mention is your budget. We all start with an amount in mind. But, we always go over. Nature of the beast, I guess. A planted tank will cost more, although many of the fish do cost less than most cichlids. But in an African cichlid tank, you will have the expense of rockwork. So the difference in price is not as much as one would expect.

Once you decide on your direction, we will be able to help you with your layout and choice if fish, plants, filtration, lighting, substrate, and the sort.
 
#11 ·
http://www.bigalsonline.com/
http://www.petsolutions.com/

Filter, I would recommend either another large AC HOB or a large canister regardless if you keep the Oscar or not. The hoods should be easy to get from a LFS, get the glass hoods because they allow you to do so much more than just get the regular light fixtures. You dcould also use egg crate over the top of the tank for a hood. I use it now on my 10 gallon tanks and it has really grown on my. No light loss through it and easy to keep clean.

If you decide to go planted, then lighting is a huge investment for moderate or moderate high light. Or can be at least.
www.ahsupply.com has some of the best lighting options I have seen as far as price and allows you to get exactly what you want. It is DIY but does not seem like it will be hard and they are very willing to help with your needs. I have never ordered from them but they have spent hours going over the specifics and details with me anyway.

As for what you can do if you don't keep the Oscar, Like HF said, A LOT!

Could go with all small fish:
10-12 Otos
8-10 cories
20-30 rasboras
20-30 danios

If you want a more aggressive or predator fish, you could go with a couple leaf fish or a couple of eels or Bichir.

Spiny eels might be a good choice also although small fish wouldn't be an option when they got larger.
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball, Spiny Eel.htm
You will need to have a very secure lid for them though because they are escape artists and like to get out whenever they can.
 
#12 ·
Wow! You guys are amazing!!! With so many suggestions, would have to send some time to figure what fish you guys are talking about lol. Thank goodness for internet :).
I believe i know what African cichlids are and i think they are beautiful. Would i be able to keep a bunch?
As for plants....why get real plants when there are plastic one?
In the meantime keep all comments and suggestions coming.
 
#13 ·
Keeping a "bunch of cichlids" is a very volatile subject. There are a few schools of thought and practice, both conservative and extreme. Some keep strictly species tanks, some have fish endemic to a certain areas of the Lakes. Some stock light, and still some, me included, stock the tank full. My 300g Malawi tank has well over 100 fish, including the catfish, Synodontis'(8 different species) and an adult dwarf giraffe cat. To say the tank is full might rank as one of the top understatements of the year. It is a very active tank.

The reasons for such diversity of thought is as complex as the fish themselves. Those that keep single species tanks do so to prevent any cross breeding, which will occur between some species. Also some fish, such as frontosas are rather large at maturity, they rival the size of a full grown oscar. Other fish, such as some of the haplochomines for example, are very ill tempered and are best kept in a species tank.

Those that keep "community tanks", a blend of this diverse family, do so to enjoy the fish themselves. They are a pugnacious, territorial, busy, full of personality and quite a colorful group. Most mbuna, at maturity, will be less than 6" total body length. This makes them easy to stock in higher numbers in larger tanks, you can put quite a few fish in a big tank.

Those, like myself, overstock our tanks to keep aggressive behavior, and the injuries, from the "battles" at a minimum. A "hospital" tank is still necessary. The philosophy behind such a stocking scheme can be likened to the fish being harassed gets lost in the crowd. And soon the chaser gives up the chase or finds another fish to spend his energies on. The drawback to such a scheme is the filtration must be high and must be efficient. I would think nothing of filtering such a tank 10x-20x an hour. my large cichlid tanks have filtration approaching 3500gph on one tank for example. Using external and internal power filters, canisters, and power heads to achieve such high flow. I do not use sump systems.

Many have a unique breeding habit in that they are mouthbrooders. The female will incubate the eggs in her bucal cavity providing a safe haven for the fry. She eats very little food during this time, so it is best to have a tank at the ready for her rehabilitation when she releases the young. Males are also very hard on the females during courtship. If the female is unreceptive, he could, very possibly, kill her.

Most cichlids and plants do not mix. The fish are, for the most part, herbivorous and great excavators. They constantly rescape the aquarium to fit their liking. This is why some keepers shy away from undergravel filter plates with these fish. There are modifications that can be made very inexpensively for those of us that use this filtration method and also keep cichlids. They may also eat you plants. If you are looking for a planted look, plastic plants are probably your only alternative. Rockwork, for most mbuna, is almost mandatory. Caves, nooks and crannies are the order of the day.

By selecting cichlids, you will have chosen the largest single group of fish in nature. So, your range of choices will be larger than your tank!! You, again, need to make a choice of exactly what you are looking for in your tank. I wish I had your problem. But, quite honestly, I really don't need another tank, let alone another cichlid tank.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the detailed comment.....i'm lost of words..... I can tell you really have a vast knowledge and a great passion for fish. How long have you had this hobby herefishy?
As for me, I'm still searching for informations and understanding of my options. BTW, can i keep my Red Oscar (she is about 6-7 inches) with some African cichlids?
Thanks
 
#17 ·
Most Africans Rift Lake species will max out at 4" or so. Just means you put more fish in the tank then, eh. Yes, it narrows your search, but like I said previously, cichlids are the largest family of fish in nature so you barely dented the subject.

Try these links:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=2

http://www.tropical-fish-pictures.com/malawi-cichlids.html

http://www.tropical-fish-pictures.com/tanganyikan-cichlids.html

http://www.riftlakespecialties.com/fish.html

That will give you a start to see what you are up against..
 
#18 ·
live2bet said:
Thanks for the detailed comment.....i'm lost of words..... I can tell you really have a vast knowledge and a great passion for fish. How long have you had this hobby herefishy?
As for me, I'm still searching for informations and understanding of my options. BTW, can i keep my Red Oscar (she is about 6-7 inches) with some African cichlids?
Thanks
Live,
Your Oscar is from the neutral to slightly acid and moderately soft waters of Peru and Brazil. The African rift lake Cichlids come from waters quite hard and alkaline, say pH 8.2 and general hardness in the mid-20's.
You can keep your Oscar, but keeping him with African Cichlids is doing both of them a disservice. As said above, removing the Oscar opens innumerable options for your tank. Keeping him limits you a great deal. Your Oscar will grow to 14 inches. Since it is already established, adding three or four more Oscars would be trouble. You could keep him with six Tinfoil Barbs, as they reach the same size as the Oscar. The barbs are schooling fish, so six is what you should get.
Bob (herefishy) is one of the few keepers here who have kept fish longer than I have. He's in his 45th year; I'm in my 36th.

Dave
 
#21 ·
The drawback to buying online, in most cases, has one major drawback, live fish guarantee. Most reputable lfs's have the warranty. The rigors of getting DOA fish replaced or refunded online may not be worth the hassle.

The plus side to buying fish online, as you noted, is the availability of some species. Prices seem better, but when the shipping costs are added in, most times it is not such a good deal.

The weight of a 135g set up, or any aquarium for that matter, is actually less per square foot than many large domestic refrigerators or freezers per square foot. An amazing fact, but it's true. I have even run calculations, being an unbeliever at first. The tank filled and decorated will be in the neighborhood of 1300#. The square foot loading is somewhere around 120lbs/sf, less than an adult man. A full refrigerator or freezer rates in the area of 135#-150#/sf. Most structures built today are over designed, meaning that loading of structural elements, floors, roofs, walls, ect, are over designed to be able to not only carry dead loads, but live and impact loads as well. I would highly recommend, short of demanding, that the tank be level and placed near a supporting element, such as a wall( not many people put their tanks in the middle of the living room, I don't think). That it has a foundation pier below it. Exterior walls are a good example. This is best in structures using wood floor joists. This will aid in preventing, or at least minimize, any deflection, bowing, of the floor joists below the aquarium. The main stress element would the not be deflection, but shear stresses. These stresses are nominally much higher and are designed into the element. If the tank is being placed on a slab floor or foundation, placement location is not as critical.
 
#23 ·
aquabid or some sites dedicated to cichlids would be my first choices. Most dedicated sites have dedicated hobbyists that are just like you and I. Many of these sites have excellent Classified boards for buying and selling of livestock, supplies and equipment also.

But as far as some of hhe "bread and butter" cichlids, your lfs would have better prices. Many can and will order what you want also. You may even get a price break since the shop will get immediate return on their money spent on the order. Mine lfs's give me discounts that are quite generous.
 
#25 ·
Dave66 said:
live2bet said:
Thanks for the detailed comment.....i'm lost of words..... I can tell you really have a vast knowledge and a great passion for fish. How long have you had this hobby herefishy?
As for me, I'm still searching for informations and understanding of my options. BTW, can i keep my Red Oscar (she is about 6-7 inches) with some African cichlids?
Thanks
Live,
Your Oscar is from the neutral to slightly acid and moderately soft waters of Peru and Brazil. The African rift lake Cichlids come from waters quite hard and alkaline, say pH 8.2 and general hardness in the mid-20's.
You can keep your Oscar, but keeping him with African Cichlids is doing both of them a disservice. As said above, removing the Oscar opens innumerable options for your tank. Keeping him limits you a great deal. Your Oscar will grow to 14 inches. Since it is already established, adding three or four more Oscars would be trouble. You could keep him with six Tinfoil Barbs, as they reach the same size as the Oscar. The barbs are schooling fish, so six is what you should get.
Bob (herefishy) is one of the few keepers here who have kept fish longer than I have. He's in his 45th year; I'm in my 36th.

Dave
Actually 46 years, Dave, but who's counting. I must say, though, the hobby has come a long way since the metal frame tanks and box filters I started with. And to think that at age nine, I thought that I was standing, being nice here(lol), in tall cotton with a 10g steel framed tank, box filter, a ton of elodea, a calico oranda, and a black moor. Man, that was a long time ago.
 
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